Multicontact electrical connector assembly



Jan 1. 28, 1969 N. MOULIN 3,425,024

MULTICONTAGT ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 21, 1967 Sheet of 2 Jim;

Jan. 28,1969 N. L. MOULlN 3,425,024

MULTICONTACT ELECTRICAL CONNECTOR ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 21, 1967 Sheet 2 of 2 United States Patent Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE In the disclosed connector a rigid body and an abutting resilient body define aligned bores forming a plurality of passageways containing pin-socket type contact devices and conductor leads thereto. The bores of the resilient body are provided with corrugations which are compressed by the conductors disposed therein to support the conductors in tight sealing relationship.

This invention relates generally to electrical connectors, and more particularly relates to a multicontact electrical connector assembly having improved supporting and sealing means for the interconnected conductors.

The increased emphasis on electronic components and systems has created certain problems in the area of electrical interconnection, since a single electrical system may incorporate hundreds of interconnected components and correspondingly thousands of electrical conductors. Therefore, it has become necessary to develop efficient, reliable, inexpensive and compact connectors that enable as many as a hundred or more conductor interconnections to be made simultaneously. In the design of such connectors consideration must be given to the mechanical and structural problems inherent in correctly and rigidly making many contacts simultaneously.

Typically, in prior art multicontact connectors in which individual interconnections are made via pin-socket type devices, the individual conductors are supported within a resilient sealing body about which a connector housing is clamped. The clamp exerts sufficient pressure on the individual conductors to cause stress problems adjacent the conductor pin-socket interconnections, thereby degrading the interconnections from both a mechanical and an electrical standpoint.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a multicontact electrical connector in which the aforementioned stress problems are greatly reduced.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a multicontact electrical connector assembly which additionally is economical to produce, simple to assemble, and durable in operation.

In accordance with the foregoing objects, an electrical connector assembly according to the invention includes first and second metal shells of essentially the same transverse dimensions mounted in an aligned abutting relationship. A first body of insulating material is mounted in the first shell, while a second body of resilient insulating material is mounted in the second shell with an end surface adjacent an end surface of the first body, the transverse dimensions of the bodies being essentially equal to the inner transverse dimensions of the shells. Each body defines a first longitudinal bore aligned with the first longitudinal bore in the other body in order to accommodate a fastening device to hold the bodies together in the desired assembled relationship. Each body further defines a plurality of second longitudinal bores aligned with resepctive second longitudinal bores in the other body. The lateral surface of each second longitudinal bore in the second body is provided with a plurality of annular ridges projecting into the associated bore. A plurality of electrical contact devices are disposed in respective ones of the second longitudinal bores of the first body, each contact device being electrically connected to an electrical conductor which extends through the second longitudinal bore of the second body which is aligned with the bore of the first body containing the contact device in question. The diameter of the electrical conductor is greater than the normal inner diameter of the annular ridges of the bore of the second body through which the conductor extends so that the ridges contacted by the conductor are compressed toward the lateral surface of the associated bore.

Additional objects, advantages and characteristic features of the invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal view illustrating an electrical connector assembly according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 33 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of a portion of FIG. 3 illustrating the corrugated bore feature of a supporting and sealing body in a connector according to the invention.

Rreferring to the drawings with greater particularity, a connector in accordance with the invention may be seen to include first and second tubular metal shells 10 and 12, respectively, of essentially the same transverse dimensions which are aligned with one another in an abutting relationship. The shells 10 and 12 define at their abutting ends outwardly extending flanges 14 and 16, respectively, which may be brazed together in order to hold the shells in the desired assembled relationship.

Disposed'within the shell 12 is a body 22 of a rigid electrically insulating material such as plastic, while disposed within the shell 10 is a body 24 of a resilient electrically insulating material such as silicone rubber. As will be described in more detail later on, the rigid body 22 houses a plurality of contact devices, e.g., pin or socket members, while the resilient body 24 functions to support and seal a plurality of electrical conductors which interconnect with respective contact devices. The body 22 extends substantially throughout the length of the shell 12, while the body 24 resides in the portion of the shell 10 nearest the shell 12, with adjacent end surfaces of the bodies 24 and 22 contacting one another. Disposed within the remainder of the shell 10 is a backing and wire guiding body 26 of rigid electrically insulating material such as plastic, the inner end surface of the body 26 contacting the other 'end surface of the resilient body 24. Each of the bodies 22, 24 and 26 are of a cylindrical configuration with a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the shells 10 and 12. This facilitates a rela- 3 tively close fit of the bodies 22, 24 and 26 within the shells, while at the same time allowing their ready insertion and removal during assembling of the connector device.

The bodies 22, 24 and 26 define aligned longitudinal bores 28, 30 and 32, respectively, in their central regions, and the body 22 further defines in its end remote from the body 24 a hexagonal aperture 34 which communicates with its bore 28. The aligned central bores 28, 30 and 32 and hexagonal aperture 34 accommodate a fastening device such as a bolt 36 and nut 38 which holds bodies 22, 24 and 26 together in the desired assembled relationship. It is pointed out that a bolt-nut fastening arrangement is shown solely for illustrative purposes, and numerous other fastening means are equally suitable. In order to insure proper alignment of the bodies 22, 24 and 26 and the shells and 12, the shells 10 and 12 define indexing ridges 40 which register with corresponding grooves 44 in the bodies 22, 24 and 26, and the shells 10 and 12 further define indexing projections 42 which register with corresponding indentations 46 in the bodies 22 and 24.

The body 22 further defines in regions radially outwardly its central bore 28 a plurality of longitudinal bores 48 of smaller diameter than the central bore 28, while similarly, the bodies 24 and 26 each define a like plurality of longitudinal bores 50 and 52, respectively, which are aligned with one another and with one of the bores 48. Thus, each set of aligned bores 48, 50 and 52 forms a passageway for housing an electrical conductor and a contact device to which it is connected.

In FIG. 3 one of the bores 48 in body 22 is shown to contain an electrical contact device 54 illustrated as a socket element 56 into which a pin element 58 is inserted. The contact device 54 is electrically connected to a conductor 62 which extends through the bores 50 and 52 and out of the connector assembly.

As is best illustrated in FIG. 4, each bore 50 in the resilient body 24 is corrugated, i.e., its surface defines a plurality of annular ridges 64 projecting into the bore 50. In order to provide a better understanding of the function of the ridges 64-, one of the corrugated bores 50 of FIG. 3 is shown with no conductor present, while the other bore 50 is illustrated as accommodating electrical conductor 62. The normal inner diameter d of the annular ridges 64 is less than the diameter of the electrical conductor 62, and thus, when the conductor 62 is inserted into the bore 50, the ridges 64 are compressed toward the lateral surface of the bore 50, thereby holding the conductor 62 in a tight sealing relationship in which minimal stress is applied to the associated contact device 54.

It is pointed out that numerous variations and modifications are possible for an electrical connector assembly according to the present invention. For example, the conductor 62 which is supported within a corrugated bore 50 may be connected directly to a pin element such as 58 rather than to a socket element 56, as shown, and which pin element is adapted for insertion into a socket element in a neighboring connector assembly of similar configuration. Moreover, whereas the connector assembly shown and described employs two connector sections (the first generally consisting of the shell 10 and its contents, and the second generally consisting of the shell 12 and its contents), a connector assembly employing four sections may be readily constructed. In building such a connector assembly the contact pin element 58 could be mounted within a third connector section which is similar to the second section and which is disposed adjacent the end of the second section remote from the first section, and with a fourth connector section similar to the first section disposed adjacent the end of the third section remote from the second section. An interfacial sealing element could be disposed between the second and third sections should a connector be desired between different environmental conditions.

Thus, while the present invention has been shown and described with reference to a specific embodiment, various changes and modifications obvious to a person skilled in the art to which the invention pertains are deemed to lie within the spirit, scope and contemplation of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. An electrical connector assembly comprising: first and second metal shells of essentially the same transverse dimensions mounted in aligned abutting relationship, a first body of insulating material mounted in said first shell, a second body of resilient insulating material mounted in said second shell with an end surface adjacent an end surface of said first body, the transverse dimensions of said bodies being essentially equal to the inner transverse dimensions of said shells, each of said bodies defining a first longitudinal bore aligned with the first longitudinal bore in the other of said bodies, fastener means disposed in the aligned first bores for holding said bodies together in the desired assembled relationship, each of said bodies further defining a plurality of second longitudinal bores aligned with respective second longitudinal bores in the other of said bodies, the respective surfaces of said second body which define its second longitudinal bores each further defining a plurality of annular ridges projecting into the associated second longitudinal bore, a plurality of electrical contact devices disposed in respective ones of said second longitudinal bores of said first body, an electrical conductor electrically connected to each said contact device and extending through the second longitudinal bore of said second body which is aligned with the bore of said first body containing the said contact device, and the diameter of said electrical conductor being greater than the normal inner diameter of annular ridges of the bore of said second body through which said conductor extends whereby the ridges contacted by said conductor are compressed toward the lateral surface of the associated bore.

2. An electrical connector assembly according to claim 1 wherein said resilient insulating material is silicone rubber.

3. An electrical connector assembly according to claim 1 wherein said first and second metal shells are provided with keying means for insuring desired alignment of respective second longitudinal bores of said first and second bodies.

4. An electrical connector assembly according to claim 1 wherein each of said first and second metal shells defines an outwardly extending flange at its end abutting the other of said metal shells, the said flanges being bonded together.

5. An electrical connect r assembly comprising: first and second metal shells of essentially the same transverse dimensions mounted in aligned abutting relationship; a first body of rigid insulating material mounted in said first shell; a second body of resilient insulating material mounted in said second shell with an end surface adjacent an end surface of said first body, a third body of rigid insulating material mounted in said second shell with an end surface adjacent the end surface of said second body remote from said first body; the transverse dimensions of said first, second, and third bodies being essentially equal to the inner transverse dimensions of said shells; each of said first, second, and third bodies defining in its central region a first longitudinal bore aligned with the first longitudinal bores of the other ones of said bodies; fastener means disposed in the aligned first bores for holding said bodies together in the desired assembled relationship; each of said first, second, and third bodies further defining in regions radially outwardly of its first bore a plurality of second longitudinal bores aligned with respective second longitudinal bores in the other ones of said bodies; the respective surfaces of said second body which define its second longitudinal bores each further defining a plurality of annular ridges projecting into the associated second longitudinal bore; a plurality of electrical contact devices disposed in respective ones of said second longitudinal bores of said first body; an electrical conductor electrically connected to each said contact device and extending through the second longitudinal bores of said second and third bodies which are aligned with the bore of said first body containing the said contract device; and the diameter of said electrical conductor being greater than the normal inner diameter of the annular 1O ridges of the bore of said second body through which said conductor extends whereby the ridges contacted by said conductor are compressed toward the lateral surface of the associated bore.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,101,229 8/1963 Yopp 339 59 3,327,282 6/1967 Krolak 339--63 FOREIGlsLPATENTS 685,150 12/1952 Gr'agBrimin. 767,307 1/1957 Great-3311161111.

MARVIN A. CHAMPION, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH H. MCGLYNN, Assistant Examiner.

US Cl. X.R. 339l03, 191 

